Gifts Of Love
by ell25
Summary: Hermione receives a gift from an anonymous sender. Who is it from? And what are they hiding? One-shot


_My first HP fic. Enjoy!_

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter._

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I sit outside of the intimidating castle on the marble stairs. I absentmindedly catch a falling snowflake in my hand that quickly melts and causes my fingertips to become damp. I watch as they flutter down into my lap and begin to disappear.

I sigh softly, but hopelessly. Christmas is so close and I haven't even got anything for my friends. I scowl slightly, but it's not as if they'll get me anything anyway. I can imagine Ronald wrapping up a book and giving it to me as a present wrapped in a delicate bow. And as I open it and embrace him he'll tell me that it has to be returned to the library in the midst of a week.

Although, I did receive a minute present that still sits in my pocket. I had forgotten all about it. Hoping that the smallest presents are always the best, I slowly pull it out of my pocket and unwrap it's delicate covering. I examine the velvet box thoroughly, cursing under my breath that it's not from Ron and that my face is going to be covered in purple goo when opened.

I wince as I open the box, but to my surprise nothing was shot out at me.

A small smile plays at my lips as I discover that my assumptions are correct; the smaller gifts are the better ones. I run my fingertips along the superior craftsmanship. My gaze averted to italics, I focused on the inscription engraved into the gold bracelet. I let the chain hang loosely and read quietly, in an almost inaudible whisper, Merry Christmas, Hermione With Love.

With all the many alternatives running through my mind, the first thing I think of is that this must have cost a fortune. Now, the first big question is, who gave this to me?

Well I can conclude that it is definitely not one of my enemies. It wouldn't be from my family because they would've signed it and given me a letter to accompany it. So therefore, it's someone I'm close to, a good friend.

"Hermione?"

I jump in fright and come to the sudden knowledge that I have been sitting out here for a while. I clumsily fumble with the bracelet, attempting to fit it back into the box. I do so with much effort and place it away neatly in the pocket of my robes.

"Mm?" I query, prompting the speaker.

"What are you doing out here? It's freezing."

I turn to see Harry looking down at me…sympathetically. I shrug-in what I tried to make it look like-nonchalantly.

"Oh, right, I was just, uh, thinking," I fumble with my words. I hate when I do that. "I'm coming in now."

I take Harry's outstretched hand as he helps me up. I shake the snow off my boots as he shuts the door behind us. The warmth is so comforting; I don't even know why I was outside in the first place.

"Come on to the common room, the fire is going." He smiles at me warmly as I nod, following him up the stairs.

Then it hits me. Harry! It all fits. He has plenty of money to buy something for me. But just to make sure…

"Harry?" I question a little awkwardly.

"Yeah?"

"Did you-"

"Flobberworms."

"In you go," the Fat Lady replies as the door swings open, it's hinges squeaking from years of rust to reveal the Gryffindor common room.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" He asks me.

"Oh, I just wanted to know-"

"Hermione! Where have you been?" Ron asks me.

Not again!

Ron? Maybe it was Ron. Well, he hasn't got two gallons to rub together but still…

"Ron?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you-"

"Hermione!" Ginny calls from her seat in front of the fire.

De ja vu. I give up.

"I'm going to bed," I say hurriedly, anything to get away from everyone. And before anyone can respond I have left the common room, heading toward my four poster bed taking two steps at a time.

As I reach the top it was empty, so I quickly stash the box at the bottom of my bag smiling. I get into bed and fall into a deep slumber with a smile still plastered on my face.

I awake to the sound of owls hooting and rub my blurred eyes. I sit up groggily looking outside my window. It is still dark but the sun is beginning to rise, luckily the snow has ceased to fall.

I know that I won't be able to get back to sleep, so I lazily throw my blanket to the side and get out of bed, vigilant as to not make any sound to wake the others. I grab a piece of parchment, a quill, ink and my gold bracelet. Tiptoeing out of the room I shut the door quietly and head downstairs for the common room.

To my liking, no one is there and the fire is still crackling. The sun ascends into the sky and its rays are now leasing light onto my blank piece of parchment.

I begin to write a letter to my parents, and after five minutes of deciding what to write in the second sentence I place it down next to me alongside my ink. I pull out the velvet box, but am too slow to hide it from sight when no other than Fred Weasley walks into the room.

Here it comes, he's going to make some joke about it, I'm going to get embarrassed and get mad at him, he's going to continue to infuriate me and we'll get into a row, then finally I'll leave. I sighed.

"Hey," he greets me politely.

I have known Fred for a while now, and he has never greeted me with a proper…well to him a formal, 'hey'.

So I decide to play along. "Hi."

"What's that?" He asks suspiciously.

Here we go.

"A bracelet," I tell him plainly.

"Cool. Do you like it?"

"Yeah, I love it. But…" I trail off, there has to be a catch to this.

"But…" He prompts.

I heave another sigh and continue, "But, I don't know who it's from. There was no name and I don't know why," I finish, doubt showing through my tone.

"Maybe they were embarrassed to let you know that they had brought it for you."

I furrow my eyebrows incredulously. "Hm, but still. Why would they go to all the trouble of buying it, engraving it and giving it to me if I'm not going to find out who they are? Now I don't want to wear it."

"Why not?" He asks a little sceptically.

"Because everyone will ask who it is from, I'll tell them I don't know, then they'll make jokes about how I brought it for myself or something."

He chuckles. Why is it funny? I don't find it very funny!

"Well, Hermione," he begins, taking the bracelet from my hand that I had absentmindedly been turning over in my hand. "How about you don't take any notice of what everyone else says and wear it."

He smiles at me and clips the lock into place and the bracelet fall limp around my wrist.

I gasp. "It's beautiful."

"So are you."

I look up at him with wide eyes and he captures my lips with his in a kiss. I can't resist but to return it even more passionately.


End file.
